Learning puzzle of geometric shapes

ABSTRACT

A learning puzzle for enhancing a user&#39;s knowledge of polygon angles and geometric shapes. The learning puzzle includes a frame and a set of shaped puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece of the set of shaped puzzle pieces being a polygon having straight edges and angular relationships at the intersection of the edges. The angles defining the angular relationships are recited on the puzzle pieces that are visible to a user upon assembly of the puzzle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is directed to a learning puzzle capable ofenhancing a user's knowledge of angular relationships. Oftentimes,individuals, particularly the young, have a difficult time visualizingpolygon angle sizes and how these angles interact with other polygonangles to provide larger geometric shapes. By employing the presentinvention, the relationship between polygons and their angularrelationships is taught.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has long been recognized that puzzles, particularly those directedtoward children, can teach valuable information while, at the same time,making such learning fun as matching and joining puzzle pieces iscarried out. Most people enjoy putting puzzles together while achievinga degree of satisfaction inherent in finding pieces to match to createthe final assembled image.

Most puzzles have little or no learning component. Oftentimes, puzzlesare, for example, created to present a landscape or have images ofanimals or architectural features once the puzzle has been completed.However, as noted previously, puzzles can have a learning componentmaking them particularly applicable to children.

Applied to this particular instance, it has been further recognized thatit is oftentimes difficult to teach both children and adults the angularrelationship between portions of a polygon. To the average child, askingto differentiate, for example, a thirty degree angle from a forty fivedegree angle will result in a blank stare. Further, most children andadults, do not understand some of the fundamental relationships ofpolygon angles, such as, for example, the recognition that all angleswithin a triangle must total 180 degrees or that transcribing a circlearound its center point must total 360 degrees. It is proposed hereinthat a learning puzzle produced according to the present invention iscapable of satisfying these goals.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a puzzle whichcombines the entertainment aspect of puzzle assembly with the learningcomponent of polygon angles to enable one to get a practical feel forangular relationships without the need for tedious memorization.

These and further objects will be more readily appreciated whenconsidering the following disclosure and appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a learning puzzle for enhancing auser's knowledge of polygon angles. The puzzle comprises a frame and aset of puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece of said set of puzzle piecesbeing a polygon having straight edges and angular relationships at theintersection of said edges. The angles defining the angularrelationships are preferably recited on the puzzle pieces so that theyare visible to a user upon assembly of the puzzle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

The sole FIGURE is a top plan view of the puzzle completed asconstituting the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning to the FIGURE, puzzle 10 is shown as including frame 11 creatingan indented portion within frame 11 for accepting various puzzle piecesas shown. As noted previously, it is the intent of the present inventionto provide a puzzle in the form of various polygons each of which havingstraight edges forming angles and geometric shapes as a learning tool.In this regard, reference is made to an example of such polygons shownas elements 12, 13, and 14.

The sub set of polygons 12, 13 and 14 of puzzle 10 contained withinframe 11 is composed of triangles 13 and 14 and diamond shaped polygon12. In reference to triangles 13 and 14, which, in this example, are ofthe same size and dimension, it is noted that the apex of each triangleforms an acute 45 degree angle with its sides which, in turn, form equal67 degree angles with their bases. When joined with diamond shapedpolygon 12, a larger triangle is formed which, for the sake of interestand clarity, represents a sub set that is of a different color thanother sub sets within puzzle 10.

Turning once again to the example provided in the previous paragraph, itis noted that a user can now visualize what a 45 degree angle looks likeand its size in comparison to a 67 degree angle. In addition, notingthat triangle 14 and diamond shaped polygon 12 in being joined at commonedge 17 creates a straight line 16 from the edge of border 11 to centerpoint 15. In viewing elements 12 and 14 together, it is shown thatstraight line 16 is bisected by common edge 17 creating the additive ofacute 45 degree angle at the apex of triangle 14 and the obtuse 135degree angle adjacent to it within diamond shaped polygon 12. These twoangles sum to 180 degrees which is always the result of straight linesegment 16 supporting a plurality of polygon edges. As such, as alearning tool, a user will now be in a better position to visualize the180 additive rule as demonstrated by puzzle 10.

As a further example of the learning component of the present invention,reference is made to puzzle center 15 which is created by the varioustriangular apexes of the triangular sub parts shown herein. It is notedthat each triangular apex forms a 45 degree angle with its edges. Inthat the present octagon presents eight such apexes joined at center 15,the puzzle now teaches that around any given point, polygons create a360 degree arc.

Although the above-recited examples are illustrative of the learningcomponent of the present invention, it is proposed that virtually anyset of polygons which can be joined to create a puzzle would help tointroduce and indoctrinate children to enable them to more readilyvisualize angular sizes and the relationships between adjoining polygonsby adding angles created by intersecting straight edges to learn thescience of geometry in a fashion which is both fun and more effectivethan in doing so by memorization.

Although the present invention is in the shape of an octagon and thevarious sub parts of puzzle 10 are triangular and diamond shaped, thepresent invention need not be so limited. All that is required is theuse of various polygons which completely fit within a suitable puzzleframe and which can be joined in finalizing the puzzle construction as ateaching aide to enable one to appreciate geometric shapes and theirrelationships. It is anticipated that although initially a user ofpuzzle 10 would construct the puzzle by simply placing the variouspolygons randomly within frame 11 until they fit completely to finalizethe puzzle construction, once a user gets more embedded in thegeometrical relationships between polygons, the puzzle constructionwould be dictated by knowledge of the angular relationships rather thana memorization of where the pieces fit together to create puzzle 10.This is part of the anticipated learning process in using the presentinvention.

The foregoing description is for the purposes of illustration only andis not intended to limit the scope of protection according to thisinvention. The scope of protection is to be measured by the followingclaims, which should be interpreted as broadly as the inventivecontribution permits.

1. A learning puzzle for enhancing a user's knowledge of polygon anglesand geometric shapes, said learning puzzle comprising a frame and a setof shaped puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece of said set of shaped puzzlepieces being a polygon having straight edges and angular relationshipsat the intersection of said edges, the angles defining said angularrelationships being recited on said puzzle pieces that are visible to auser upon assembly of said puzzle.
 2. The learning puzzle of claim 1wherein said set of shaped puzzle pieces are comprised of subsets thatremain adjacent to one another upon the assembly of said puzzle.
 3. Thelearning puzzle of claim 2 wherein each of said puzzle pieces within asub set is of the same color as the remaining puzzle pieces of said subset and different from the color of puzzle pieces in other sub sets.